"Penelope Grant!" exclaims Hare with an oath. Whereat these three young men fell a-laughing, and even Sir John leered.
I had heard her name and that the careless young gallants of the country were all after this young Scotch girl, servant to Douw Fonda—but I had never seen her.
"She lives with the old gentleman, does she not?" inquired Claudia with a shrug.
"She cares for him, dresses him, cooks for him, reads to him, sews, mends, lights him to bed and tucks him in," said Hare. "My God, what a wife she'd make for a farmer! Or a mistress for a gentleman."
"A wench I would employ very gladly," quoth Claudia, frowning. "Could you get her ear, Jack, and fetch her?"
"Take her from Douw Fonda?" I exclaimed in surprise.
"The old man is like to die any moment," remarked Watts.
"Besides," said Moucher, "he has scores of kinsmen and their women to take him in charge."
"She's a pretty bit o' baggage," said Sir John drunkenly. "If you but kiss the little slut she looks at you like a silly kitten, and, I think, with no more sense or comprehension."
Captain Watts darted an angry look at his brother-in-law but said nothing.